Pin shaped contact elements are provided to form, by being pressed into metal coated holes of electric printed circuit boards, an electrically conductive connection to at least one track of an electric printed circuit board. By means of the contact pin- or contact bushing-like connection region of the contact element it is possible, for example, for electric/electronic devices or connection devices to be connected to the track or tracks. For problem-free contacting of the metal coated holes, their manufacturing tolerances must be compensated by corresponding formation of a press-in region of the contact element so that an air-tight connection is ensured between the hole and the press-in region.
For this reason the press-in regions of such contact elements are often formed so as to be flexibly deformable against a corresponding force. This is achieved, for example, by means of a longitudinal hole stamped into the press-in region and formed as a needle eye, because two contact limbs are formed thereby which can be moved towards each other in a resiliently elastic manner. By means of the resiliently elastic formation of the contact limbs, it is ensured that the normal manufacturing tolerances can be overcome and therefore sufficient contact force is available for an air-tight electrical connection.
A pin shaped contact element is known from DE 39 15 644 A1. The press-in region of this contact element is, however, not only formed with relatively sharp edges but also comprises portions where the two longitudinal sides of the contact limbs are disposed extending at a relatively shallow angle to each other. If such a contact element is pressed into the hole of an electric printed circuit board, material of the metal coating is inevitably displaced. Between the smooth longitudinal sides of the two contact limbs and the wall of the hole only little space remains to receive the displaced material of the coating, which usually consists of tin. It is possible that during pressing-in, in particular in the case of unfavorable tolerances, the metal coating may be damaged so badly that it is chipped off. If such chips, consisting, for example, of tin, fall into electric/ electronic devices provided with printed circuit board assemblies of this type, the devices may fail.